Victoria Underwood
Background: Victoria was raised in a very traditional Southern family, church going, pageant'ing, singing, political. Victoria was the oldest of three siblings, and the most liberal and most free spirited. She spent much of her youth learning the ins and outs of "Being a lady" while at the same time learning how to play politics at the feet of her congressman Uncle. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized that the true power was not in the elected official, but the ones supporting that person. And typically it was the women who they associated with. Their wives, secretaries, even their mistresses. It didn't take her long to get into the 'system' and worked as an intern for a couple of congressional chairmen and women. Eventually getting into a position where she was a lobbyist and then to a chair at an influential non profit. When she was still a young woman she had met an up and coming politician named Fred Underwood. It took a trip to the ballet, something she enjoyed and he hated yet he showed such passion toward it, that she mused if he could fake loving the ballet while secretly hating it, then he had a future in politics. Over the years the two of them were involved with various campaigns. Until he campaigned to be her husband. In many ways they truly fit together, they were both strong, driven people. Even though the two of them were very... liberal when it came to their personal lives. They decided early on that 'silly' notions such as monogamy and even vices were no excuse to ruin a good relationship. So they set boundaries and ground rules. As long as they both agreed to whatever the other did, it was fine. The two of them used their open relationship to build up a rather extensive network and found out a great many things about their fellow party members, as well as rivals. Fred was elected governor and eventually to a Council position on Terra Alpha in no small part to the political influence they both amassed over the years. Fred's blunt and direct way of speaking and his tenacity and pragmatism combined with her tactical skill, her deft knowledge of political maneuvering made them a formidable team. It was even suspected that she was the true power behind the throne. BUT... they both wielded a considerable amount of power inside and outside their offices. -- Victoria is secretly bi-sexual and has had nearly as many female lovers as male. Both the Underwoods vowed never to sire children, partially because she has a rare disease that causes stillbirth and partially because children would distract them. Victoria 'loved' Fred, but only in so far as what they could accomplish together. Fred was the one that got Victoria to embrace her Ajem'dasis power, being a practitioner himself, but Victoria already had a Master at the time. Eventually the two of them trained and slew her former Master, the idea that they would 'share' the role of Master, as they shared everything else. But Victoria was the far more powerful of the two, but she made Fred believe he was, to keep his ego stoked and she knew deep down that eventually there would come a time when their identities as Ajem would be revealed, she would prop him up as the Master and she was simply an acolyte of his, play off the sympathies of others, that she was 'forced' into it and manipulated. Still, it took many many years before that happened. The true turning point was when Abbygale Porter entered her life, originally she knew that Carly and her were only getting close as a way to support President Nick Ryder, but she formed a bond with Abbygale that over rode her original 'mission' to the point where after President Ryder and much of the government of Terra Alpha was thought killed after the election, that Abbygale helped her to poison Fred and used him to attack President Isabella Price, knowing that he would be felled by someone's hand. Leaving her the sole Ajem'dasis Master and free to continue her relationship with Abbygale Porter. Now, seeking out a new apprentice after the death of her old one, Kat Donovan, Victoria is beginning to see that perhaps she could have the power she craved and yet still keep her head intact. While her romantic relationship with Abbygale is more serious and in her mind, deeper than what she had with Fred, there's a true partnership with her. Almost to the point where she's becoming more and more comfortable being open about her relationship, for many years both women feared what others would think if they knew they were more lesbian. While she can't speak of Abbygale's thoughts, she enjoys the feeling of intimacy with someone who she doesn't need to concern herself with 'protection' and at her age, she would rather groom a successor than a child.